Sanding device



(No Model.)

' T. J. THOMAS. SANDING- DEVIGE.

No. 528,998. Patented Nov. 13, 1894.

'vided at its bottom with an opening from .paratus for Sanding Railways,of which the UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

THOMAS J. THOMAS, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SANDING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,998, dated November13, 1894.

Application filed March 15, 1894.

To all whom; it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of- Tennessee,have invented a new and useful Apfollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in. apparatus for sandingrailways.

The object of the present invention is to provide for cable, motor, andsimilar cars simple and effective means for sanding the rails to preventthe wheels from slipping,-and to enable either one or both rails to besanded, and the supply or discharge of the sand to be readily regulated.

The invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement ofparts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a' perspective View of a sanding apparatusconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view of the same, taken longitudinally of the foot-lever. Fig.3 is a transverse sectional viewof the same. Fig. 4 is a detailperspective view of the sand-valve.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

1 designates a rectangular sand box or hopper,having a tapering lowerend, and designed to be mounted on the platform of the ear, under aseat, or at any other desired or convenient point. The sand box orhopper is prowhich depends a discharge-tube 2, having two branches 3,designed to extend to each side of a car and to terminate above therails in order to sand the same; and at the lower end of the mainportion of the discharge-tube is located a hinged cut-off 4.

The hinged cut-ofi 4 is mounted on a crank shaft or pintle 5, and isadaptedtoswing from one side of the discharge-tube to the other to closeeither of the branches to permit sand to pass through the other branch,whereby either one of the rails may be sanded without sanding the other;and the hinged cut-off is adapted to be arranged vertically in orderthat sand may be discharged from both of the branches si- Serial mtosmo.(No model.)

multaneously for sanding both the rails. The cut-ofi is composed of avertically-movable rack-bar 6, terminating at its upper end in a handle7 and having its lower end connected with the crank 8 of the pintle orshaft 5. The teeth 9 of the rack-bar are shouldered and are arranged toengage a ratchet-plate or stop 10, to hold the cut-off at any desiredposition. By raising and lowering the rack-bar the cutoff may be swungfrom one side of the discharge-tube to the other, as will readily beapparent.

The upper end of the discharge-tube 2 is closed by a vertically-movablesand-valve 11, which is approximately cylindrical or tubular, whereby itis guided at all times by the discharge tube. It is provided with aclosed top or head 12, and it has, at the sides, tapering openings orspaces 13, which are formed by depending tapering guide arms and whichgradually decrease in width upward, whereby, by raising the sand-valveto a greater or less extent, the size of the discharge-opening may bevaried to regulate the discharge of the sand, and the valve ispositively guided. The valve has depending from it a centrally-arrangedstem 14, connected at the lower end to the inner end of a foot-lever 15.The footlever is fulcrumed on a support 16, and its outer portion isnormally held elevated to close the valve 11, by a spring 17, having itsfree end bearing against the lower face or edge of the foot-lever. Theouter end of the foot-lever is enlarged in order that it may beconveniently engaged by the foot of the motorman or. other operator.

By raising and lowering the valve, the sand is agitated for the purposeof'keeping it stirred up in cold weather, to prevent freezing orclogging, thereby rendering the device positive and reliable in itsoperation at a time when it is most needed.

It will be seen that the apparatus for sanding rails is simple andcomparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is positive andreliable in operation, that it enables the flow or discharge of sand tobe regulated, and that either one or both rails may be sanded asdesired.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted loo 7 to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim is- 1. In an apparatus for sanding rails, the combinationof a sand box having an opening at its bottom, a discharge tubeprojecting above the bottom of the sand box, a valve comprising acircular head or disk 12 arranged [O to fit on the upper edge of thedischarge tube,

and the annular series of vertically disposed depending tapering armsfixed at their upper ends to the disk or head and arranged within thevertical tube, and fitting against the inher face of the same andguiding the head or disk in its vertical movement and forming taperingspaces, and means for raising and lowering the valve, whereby the sandmay be agitated, substantially as and for the pm- 20 pose described.

2. In an apparatus for sanding rails, the combination of a sand-box, adischarge-tube depending therefrom and provided with di= vergingbranches, a cut-01f hinged at the upper terminals of the branches andarranged to close the same, a rock-shaft carrying the cutoff andprovided with a crank, a rack-bar connected with the crank, a stoparranged to be engaged by the rack-bar, a sand-valve arranged at theupper end of the dischargetube and closing the same and provided withdepending sides having tapering openings, a foot-lever fulcrumed on asuitable support and connected with the sand-valve, and a springengaging the foot-lever for holding the sand-valve normally closed,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aifixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. THOMAS.

\Vitnesses:

JNo. G. MCCLANAHAN, CHAS. II. THOMAS.

